In many electrophotographic processes, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photosensitive member (photoconductive material) and then a latent image is developed with a toner. After being transferred onto a transfer material such as paper, the toner image is fixed, for example, by heating, pressing, or heating and pressing, or using solvent vapor to produce a copy. Residual toner on the photosensitive member is cleaned as desired by various methods, and then the above steps are repeated.
In printer or copying machines utilizing electrophotography, corona dischargers have been widely used to charge the surface of a photosensitive member (electrostatic image-bearing member) or to transfer a toner image on a photosensitive member. Contact charging or transferring approaches, where a contact charging member contacts or presses against a photosensitive member surface while an external voltage is applied, have also been used.
In contact charging or transferring, by way of example, an electroconductive elastic roller is abutted against an electrostatic image-bearing member and a voltage is applied to uniformly charge the electrostatic image-bearing member, which is then subjected to an exposure and a developing step to produce a toner image thereon. Another electroconductive elastic roller supplied with a voltage is pressed against the electrostatic image-bearing member, and a transfer material is passed therebetween to transfer the toner image on the electrostatic image-bearing member onto the transfer material, followed by a fixing step to produce a copied image.
Surfaces relevant to image development, such as the intermediate transfer belt (ITB), which is often tightly strung across rollers, and the optical photoconductor (OPC) of print cartridges, may be fragile and easily damaged. Even during routine replacement of printer consumables there is a significant likelihood of scratching or otherwise damaging these imaging surfaces. Moreover, the aforementioned imaging surfaces are often sensitive to light, e.g., prolonged exposure to ambient light. Printer architectures may cause these surfaces to become exposed, such as when a housing of the printer is opened up by a user or technician to access a printer component or consumable. Furthermore, many printers are designed to facilitate greater access to printer components and/or consumables resulting in an even greater likelihood of inadvertent damage being caused to imaging surfaces. Thus, a dilemma exists, namely, the desire to retain ease in accessibility to print cartridges while simultaneously providing greater protection to easily damaged image development surfaces and, in particular, to the certain surfaces of the ITB.